My muse this week is Danielle Feroleto owner of Small Giants. Small Giants is a full service marketing firm that focuses specifically on commercial real estate.

WHY DANIELLE QUALIFIES TO BE ONE OF THE 2016 FEARLESS THIRTEEN.

Danielle’s marketing company focuses on commercial real estate, which she started just prior to the 2008 recession. She not only survived the recession but she used her innate business sensibility to respond adeptly to a down market and thrived. When talking with Danielle, I was impressed by both her strength and conviction as well as her subtle approach. Danielle was nominated to be one of the 2016 Fearless 13 by Najala Kayyem, owner of Kayyem Marketing and SICFIT and fellow 2016 Fearless 13 participant.

The three biggest things that impress me the most about Danielle are:

She is a aware of her vulnerability as a woman in a male dominated industry, a reality she openly embraces and which makes her stronger with every deal!

She has proven that she has created a recession-proof business model that focuses on offering broader services to a very specific niche.

She has the courage to be vocal about being a faith-based business.

In a nutshell….

Danielle is an excellent example of a driven, capable woman who has been able to maintain her feminine warmth in a male dominated industry. She has proven herself not only by her prosperous staying power but also because of her ability to grow her business as large as she would like it to be.

FEARLESS INTERVIEW

Danielle took a few minutes out to answer the five Art of Fearlessly Doing Business Questions.

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM DANIELLE ABOUT BEING FEARLESS?

1.) Solve a Problem – Fill a Need

When creating Small Giants, Danielle recognized that she could solve multiple problems and fill several needs in her industry by branching out on her own. Businesses that are built on this premise prosper. Be a problem solver.

2.) Don’t Let the Small Stuff Derail You

Any time you start something new, there is a myriad of little details that you have to sift through. Start up activities like registering your LLC or corporation with the state; getting your business license within the town your business resides; getting an EIN number; and opening your bank accounts can be unnerving and time consuming. Every step along the way as a business owner there are always new things to learn and new regulations to sort through. It is important to not let those activities get too far under your skin or bury your purpose. Danielle learned the art of delegation early. It is a beneficial and efficient business decision to delegate tasks to other professionals more familiar with the rules and protocols of specific tasks. Seeking out assistance enables you to focus on your strengths and your mission in order to get your business established. Danielle acknowledged others’ expertise to manage bureaucratic necessities while simultaneously pushing her specialized marketing knowledge forward.

3.) Be Recession Proof

Having multiple streams of income within a single business is a smart strategy that can help recession-proof your business. Danielle fills her service portfolio to include options that would be needed in a down turn as well as those that would be desired in an upturn. One stream of income could decline in a down turn but another stream of income would increase. Recognizing this was at times fortuitous on Danielle’s part, but sometimes accidents provide the best results. We can learn from accidental triumphs and then duplicate them on purpose.

4.) Decide How HUGE You Want to Be

Daniel knows that she has a strong business model and that she gets to decide how big she wants to grow her business; what a great place to be. She is always balancing her confidence as a business owner with her understanding that as a woman she is a minority in her industry. She does not allow her minority position within her industry to limit herself or the assumptions of others. She humbly admits that as a woman she is always balancing her authenticity with the reality of the running a marketing company in the commercial realty industry.

5.) Drive to Your Passion and the Money will Follow

We hear successful people make this statment a lot. That is, when you do what you love, the money will follow. It is comforting to see it alive and well in the success of Small Giants. Danielle loves what she does and that is why when there are difficult times, she still remains invigorated. Additionally, I have a tremendous amount of respect for Danielle because she has chosen to run an openly faith-based business. It takes a lot of courage to be as public as Danielle is about her faith in her business dealings. I find it refreshing!

Thank you so much Danielle for taking the time out to be one of the Fearless 13!

Note from the ArtistDANIELLE’S ILLUSTRATION’S STORY:

The idea is that Danielle is one woman (all thought she does have a very capable team) against the bigger and more male dominated commercial real estate industry is what this illustration is all about. She is a woman in her pencil skirt dress but she has her hands defiantly on her hips standing tall with a purpose. I chose very heavy dark lines for the commercial building because I wanted the building to feel masculine like the industry it represents. Keys to the doors. Keys to the Kingdom. The shape of a keyhole is an upside down light bulb. The light bulb is the universal sign for me for the entrepreneur. There are real keys added and tracings of keys. The keys are people in the parking lot. There is also a cross that I received from a lady I met just once in my life briefly at a prayer meeting in Long Island a few years ago when I was there for a family event. I was having a particularly challenging day. The sweet lady approached me after the final prayer and gave the cross to me when we were done praying. This cross is special for me because it was given by a stranger with total unconditional love. I have carried it in my purse for several years waiting for just the right person to pass it on to with the same unconditional love in which it was given to me. Danielle’s commitment to her faith in her life and in her business was just the right purpose for that cross. Those of us who have deep faith in whatever form it comes in are absolutely compelled to share it. I have a tremendous amount of respect for any business owner who brings their faith fully into their business. I find it refreshing and exceptionally brave. The woman that gave me that cross years ago – was brave. Unexpected love is brave.

Work was shown from May 14 – June 9, 2016 at the Walter Art Gallery inScottsdale, Arizona.

Entrepreneurs and inspiring stories of all kinds are Fearlessly Deliver’s muse and focus. As an artist, a business woman and a visual journalist Michelle Micalizzi paints with a purpose. The Fearless Art Projects are collaborative social practice art engagements that connect art + business + community.

THE ART OF FEARLESSLY DONG BUSINESS is an unprecedented and unique project celebrates the fearless entrepreneurial spirit by highlighting thirteen unique and fearless business leaders.